Wigan Album

And we think things are bad these days - i suppose over crowded living conditions with lodgers living with families wouldn't have helped either. I noticed in my family history there were lodgers with different names to the head of the family, sometimes 12 people in a 2 bedroom terrace. Who knows....

Veronica - I did a bit of 'digging', and found the actual court case this article relates to.
The hearing took place at Wigan Magistrates Court in April 1857.
The 29 year old grandmother's surname was Casey (no christian name given), and she was married to a tailor called Patrick Casey, who was 11 years her senior. They lived in Douglas Terrace, which could have either been the one in the Crompton St area, or the one at Adams Bridge.
She had been arrested for assaulting a neighbour in the course of an argument.

Mick : I can remember people saying about rough housing - 'It favvers Casey's Court' ! I have said it myself at times.. I wonder if the saying originated from those times....

Veronica - the original Casey's Court was a music hall troupe, consisting mainly of child actors, singers, acrobats, etc.
It was led by adult comedian Will Murray.
They performed sketches in which he dressed as Mrs Casey, attempting to get the children to behave, while they were running riot.
Both Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel appeared with the act as juveniles.
In time, the name got used to describe all kinds of disorder.
Another term I have heard used in the same context, is 'it's like Muldoon's picnic', but I don't know the origins of that one

I wonder if such an item ever surfaced on ‘ Who do you think you are’ . Whether such an item would be shunted into the sidings pronto?.

I have just listened to two recordings of Casey Court kids on Ytube from the 1930's - that's figures! They must have been on the 'wireless' at the time. Cockneys always seemed noisier. No wonder that became a saying about unruly kids and where it came from! We've come a long way from those days Mick. As for Muldoon's picnic I haven't heard that one for ages- it's all coming back to me. I'll have a look on Google - Thankyou!

"The title Muldoon's Picnic refers to a popular vaudeville act. In the 1880's, plays by the Irish/ American playwright Edward Harrington - complete with musical numbers and knockabout comedy - and were the talk of the town"
The term "Muldoon's Picnic" became synonymous with a kind of outrageous,uproarious spree".
Not surprising how these 'sayings' came about and caught on by our grandparents. I remember Gaelic words sometimes used in my family that I hadn't a clue what they meant.....I asked an Irish guide about one of them in particular and he quite cheerfully told me what it meant ! 'Haummagauwm' ( sic) meaning ' a fool'....just goes to show what is passed down.

Veronica - many thanks for the Muldoon information!
Albert - I'm not sure about 'Who Do You Think You Are?', but I would be greatly diverted to find that lot on my family tree!